Home Vs. Public School: Decision Divides Parents

PARKLAND - — When Shellie Farrugia told her ex-husband she planned to teach their two sons at home rather than send them to public schools this year, he took her to court.

The future education of their sons, Evan and Weston Irr, now rests in the hands of a judge. There have been two days of court testimony so far and enough subpoenas, lesson plan exhibits, court papers and university studies to fill a small file cabinet.

At issue, both sides say, is "the best interests of the children," meaning whether home or public school would provide the best education possible from both books and interaction with other children.

It's a debate that has ranged far outside this courtroom; the home school movement, though small by public school standards, has grown steadily. Officials with the Home School Legal Defense Association estimate that at least 1 million children are schooled at home every year in this country, and they say that the number is growing by about 10 to 15 percent a year.

"He's worried about socialization," Farrugia said. "So am I. Socialization in Parkland schools means everyone at school has to wear designer clothes and Gucci shoes in grade school and ride around on $500 scooters. Is that socialization?'' Kristian Irr of Delray Beach, the father of Evan, 7, and Weston, 5, declined to comment for this story, but court officials and his ex-wife say he objects to home-schooling in large part because of the socialization and education questions. He cannot understand why his wife doesn't want to send them to Riverglades Elementary School, which everyone involved, including Farrugia, agrees has a good reputation.

Questions about the worth of home-schooling are not easy to answer, said Joe Forman, the Broward school administrator designated to coordinate with home-schoolers. The number of children who are schooled at home in Broward County always spikes upward, he said, when new semesters begin, and when the district goes through difficult times with starbursting, desegregation issues or other problems. "Some [home-school) parents do a great job, educating their kids and getting them involved in activities," Forman said. "Some don't, and we get calls that kids are spending their days isolated or in front of the television. At the same time, we've got public school kids who have terrible socialization problems."

Farrugia, 32, runs a produce brokering business that she says grosses about $3 million a year. Her hours are flexible and she feels comfortable with teaching her sons.

"I've got nothing against the public schools," she said. "Riverglades is in fact a good school. It's just that I think I could do a better job with the kids."

Broward Circuit Court Judge Lawrence Korda will hold another hearing either late this month or next month to decide whether to keep Evan in school as Kristian Irr has asked. Korda has already ordered the boy sent to Riverglades, against Farrugia's wishes, until the case is decided. Farrugia had schooled the children at home last summer and wanted to continue.

The younger boy, Weston, is too young to be sent to public school yet.

Farrugia lives in a Parkland house next to a barn where the chores include feeding seven horses, the pig, cats, dogs, lizards, ferrets and other pets.

Her attorney has argued in court that Farrugia scored an unusually high 1560 on her Scholastic Aptitude Tests, though neither she nor her high school, Boca Raton Academy, kept the records.

Both parents share a concern about social interaction. The husband says in court documents that he wants his sons educated in a traditional public school.

Farrugia disagrees. In a letter to her husband, she wrote that in his kindergarten year at Riverglades, their son Evan "was constantly obsessed with clothing labels, manner of dress (typically referred to as `Gangsta,') having a `cool' hairstyle (He was the only child to ever have a Mohawk in his school), an earring ... ''

Kristian Irr also questions his ex-wife's qualifications as a teacher. She has no teaching degree.

"Putting kids in a regimented classroom where they have to ask permission to even go to the bathroom, and where everyone around them is the same age and race and economic backround as them - is that socialization?" Farrugia said.

Evan Irr has now dropped behind his younger brother in proficiency in mathematics since his return to public school, their mother said.

Evan hasn't had a chance to talk to the judge. If he gets the chance, he said he will tell him he wants to be schooled at home.